An overarching policy to manage the many environmental and economic pressures threatening the use of ocean resources on which millions of Americans rely is being formulated by the Obama Administration. In an editorial in the December issue of Scientific American, editors endorse measures to rationalize the overlapping activities of federal agencies responsible for marine life and industrial uses, such as fishing and energy extraction. RFF Nonresident Fellow James N. Sanchirico has pioneered a widely heralded option known as "zoning the oceans," which would allow fair and environmentally responsible competition while protecting the overall health of the world’s seas.

“Extending this ‘planning and zoning’ paradigm offshore makes good sense,” the editorial argues. “Zoning would give all parties with a stake in the seas the security of knowing certain spaces are designated for their desired uses. Commerce benefits because environmental groups are less likely to block industry on a case-by-case basis. Marine ecosystems benefit because conservation finally gets an equal seat at the planning table with the fishing and petroleum industries.”